The genus Alocasia is vegetatively similar to Colocasia but may be readily differentiated by the presence of wax glands present in axils of the primary lateral veins and midrib on the abaxial surface of the leaf and by the mature fruit that are orange or red, odorless, and contain a few large seeds, this in marked contrast to Colocasia in which the fruits are inconspicuously colored, smelly, and contain many tiny seeds in slimy mucilage. In addition, the placentation is basal in Alocasia and parietal in Colocasia.

In respect to synflorescence architecture, Alocasia may be distinguished by the inflorescences that are generally paired, with each pair oriented ± tangential to the stem, whereas Colocasia has numerous inflorescences arising in a centrifugal sequence radial to the stem.

In China, Alocasia cucullata and A. macrorrhizos are never found away from human disturbance.